A/N: So I'm alive. I meant to update this chapter months ago, but well life got in the way. And I kind of forgot it even existed...eh-heh oops, Anyway here it is. c:
Ash allowed a sigh of relief to pass through his lips as he exited the flying metal monstrosity know as a plane. The 12 hour flight to get from Kanto to Sinnoh was absolute torture for him, Pikachu, and Lucario. Uncomfortable seats, screaming children, and flight attendants who insisted on treating him like he was three, and not a thirteen year old three year trainer who had been traveling by himself for three years. He moved toward the exit of the airport, his backpack carelessly tossed over one shoulder and Pikachu's warm weight resting on the other one. Lucario followed closely behind him barely a foot of space between them.
"Ash..." The dark haired boy tilted his head and peered at his friend out of the corner of his eye
"Yeah, Lucario?" Serious red eyes gazed at him.
"Never make me get on one of those things again." The vehemence in the Jackal like Pokemons voice surprised him but he nodded in easy agreement.
"I didn't enjoy it either," he admitted "It made me sick to my stomach." Pikachu muttered in preoccupied agreement avidly watching the surroundings as they moved toward the outside. Bright sunlight shone down on a broad cobblestone street, and the air held the tang of the sea. Ash dragged in a deep breath and felt an involuntary smile curl across his lips. It had been awhile since he had been to a coast city. Lucario made a soft noise and Ash turned to look at him in concern.
"It's nothing Ashura." He assured the boy gently when he felt the gaze on him.
"The air just brings back memories is all." The dark haired child nodded his acceptance but his eyes remained worried.
"Right then," He said switching topics "Would either of you know where we can find the Pokemon center?" Lucario's eyes narrowed into slits and a light blue glow began to surround his paws and at the same time he also felt an increase of static coming off of Pikachu. "Eh hehe um...I am just going to ask one of those nice people for directions and not get us lost?"
"Yes!"
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20 minutes later
"I told you we weren't lost!" Ash cried triumphantly.
"Thunder bolt." muttered Pikachu who then proceeded to watch in satisfaction as Ash fell twitching to the ground.
"Was that really necessary?" questioned Lucario without any real heat. The runt was apparently as bad as his sire when it came to directions, having somehow accomplished turning a five minute walk into a twenty minute hassle. Ash smiled a bit sheepishly as he levered himself to his feet.
"Sorry guys, I honestly though he meant turn left not right." the other two sighed in aggravation but decided to let it go.
"Let's just go." Lucario grumbled while shoving his charge toward the doors of the Pokemon center. "Alright," he cried out laughing slightly blue eyes glittering in amusement
"Alright I'm going, Lucario." The Pokemon didn't reply just continued to propel the boy forward not wanting to deal with anymore delays. Behind the desk the nurse Joy on duty raised a pink eyebrow at the young man. Lucario finally allowed the lightly blushing boy to come to a stop in front of the desk. "Hello, how can I help you." Ash gave a weak almost nervous smile.
"Traveling trainer registration, please." He said quietly, flinching when she appeared startled. It didn't take her long to recover from her shock.
"Traveling trainer hmm? It's rare someone your age does that. Well then Full name and registration number." Ash swallowed slightly but nodded hoping professor Oak had time to update his trainer info. "Full name: Ashura Aaron Cameron Formerly known as Ash Satoshi Ketchum. Registration number: 413125."
After typing away at her computer for a few moments the pink haired women smiled brightly. "Everything appears to be in order, here's your new trainer card Professor Oak just sent it over." Ashura nodded his thanks accepting the plastic card and studying it intently before removing his old card from his pokedex and inserting the new one.
"Is there anything else I can help you with?" Ash nodded again with a sheepish smile.
"Err yes actually when does the next boat for Iron island leave?"
"Well," Said the nurse thoughtfully "It's 6:49am right now and the next boat should leave at 7:00am. If you just follow the main road you should reach it in time. It's a large blue and orange boat, you can't miss it." Ash yelled his thanks over his shoulder as he hurried from the building. The women shook her head and laughed softly at the boys enthusiasm.
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They arrived right on time and Ash smiled brightly as he showed a bored looking man his trainer card, and paid for a ticket. He was happy that he had saved most of his league, gym, and trainer winnings in a bank account attached to his trainer card, and even happier that he had stocked up on supply's before leaving Pewter city, considering he hadn't had time to visit a Pokemart.
"Hurry up kid." grumbled the older male looking irritated. "It's gonna take five hours to reach the island and no one wants to sit on this boat any longer than that." Ash gave a quick dip of his head in acknowledgment and strolled up the plank and onto the ship. Nervous excitement twisted his stomach into knots. Today he would finally meet the man who would become his teacher.
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Ashura gazed around the town on Iron island in surprise having expected it to be smaller. "Excuse me?" Ash questioned moving toward a smiling couple that was standing near the dock.
"Yes? Can we help you with something?" The boy smiled sheepishly
"Uh yes, I was wondering if you could tell me where I can find a man named Riley..." The women who had been smiling at him gently changed, becoming startled for a second before closing off completely. The man who had been standing to the side before moved forward now blocking his view of the women.
"Why exactly do you want to know, kid?" The wariness and barely hidden hostility startled Ash slightly, and he skirted back putting distance between them as he eyed the two with nervous blue eyes. He felt Lucario draw closer to him and relaxed a bit, his father's friend would die before letting anything happen to him.
"Uh, well you see in my father will it stated that his nephew Riley was to be my guardian if anything happened to him. And well no one in my town could get into contact with him so I decided to come myself..." Ashura's voice trailed off and inwardly he grimanced as their expressions changed, softening with a large amount of pity.
"I'm sorry for your loss." the man said looking solemn. He shrugged.
"It's fine. We didn't know each other that well. He was always traveling and then I started my journey." "Right then," the man said looking decidedly friendlier "To get to Riley's you need to follow the main road that runs through the town for about twenty minutes then you'll see a shrine dedicated to Groudon. Behind it is the path to Riley's house and you'll need to follow that for another half an hour or so." Ash gave his fervent thanks to the couple feeling decidedly guilty for about having lied to them for his reason for searching out Riley. They wished him luck as he hurried out of sight.
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Ash walked down the path smiling slightly, he had passed the shrine almost 30 minutes ago and was almost there. Pikachu sat on his shoulder peering around in curiosity at the bleak landscape. Rounding the corner of a cliff Ash felt his breath leave him in a shocked gasp. Ahead of him the ground sloped into a lush valley ringed in trees, the very center was a large clearing with most of the space taken up by a small stream fed pond and a medium sized two-story house surrounded by a low stone wall. Ash took a deep breath and steeled himself before descending down the path, which weaved a twisting path through the trees before stopping right in front of the house. He walked up a set of shallow steps and before he could talk himself out of it, knocked three times the sounding echoing hollowly in the silence.